Federal marshals shot, suspect killed

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Authorities in St. Louis say they were trying to arrest a suspect on assault and drug possession charges Tuesday when he opened fire and shot one U.S. marshal in the head and wounded two other law enforcement officers.

Officers returned fire, killing 35-year-old Carlos Boles in his home.

Authorities have said the marshal shot in the head is in critical condition, and another marshal was having surgery after being shot in an ankle. A police officer was grazed by a bullet, which sent him toppling down stairs.

The charges against Boles stem from an October incident. A probable cause statement says Boles punched an officer in the neck as the officer tried to arrest him for drug possession.

Earlier:

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal marshal is in critical condition at a St. Louis hospital, after an exchange of gunfire today between law enforcement agents and a man they were trying to arrest at a home.

Authorities say the suspect opened fire, and police fired back, killing the man.

In addition to the marshal who was shot in the head and critically injured, another marshal was shot in an ankle. A police officer was grazed by a bullet, which sent him toppling down stairs.

There's still no official word who the suspect was, and why he was wanted.

A woman who identified herself as the suspect's sister told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that her three children had been staying with her brother and his girlfriend at the home. She says marshals and police waited for the children to leave the house before trying to make the arrest.

After the shooting, dozens of spectators gathered for hours outside yellow police tape. As police began to disband, bystanders shouted obscenities at them. Some officers used police dogs to keep the angry spectators at a distance.